Post by MSMFDawn on Feb 7, 2008 0:39:32 GMT -5
This is a special post: Get your tissues, and take note that this is written by a 15 year old girl.
If at the end you would like to see this posted in an accredited place: Please pass it on to the Calgary Herald or the Calgary Sun
The Spirit of Christmas
By Samantha J
The spirit of Christmas comes in many forms, the prayer, hope and joy of it all makes the holiday season that much more enjoyable and magical. All across the globe people everywhere celebrate the season of giving in many different ways. Some may say that it is childish to believe in such things as Santa, also known as St. Nickolas around the world; I must say that I agree I do believe it is childish to believe in a man with a white beard and overalls, but I also believe that the child within is more ourselves than the people we are in our normal day to day lives. Let me explain.
The child we hide inside is the one who first decided what our favourite color was, the tastes of food we liked and didn’t enjoy and the one who made all the mistakes first just to learn from them afterward. The child who stuck his hand in the cookie jar before supper was led to believe that it was not a good thing to do by the consequence of his actions. That child was also the one who once believed in Santa. The large man with a snow white beard, belly which ‘shook like a bowl full of jelly’ and cherry red nose was the man we all awaited for on the night before Christmas. This belief was most likely carried out until we became ‘old enough’ to stop believing. Now I am almost positive that most of you that will read this will say ‘I don’t believe in Santa. I stopped believing a long time ago! It was my parents that set presents under the tree, I was told so.’ But I am also very positive that many do not know the full meaning of Santa. Do you?
Santa Claus is in fact not a man, nor a woman. Santa is the heart and soul of Christmas. I know that the story of Jesus’ birth, ‘Away in a Manger’ has been told time and time again; the religious half of Christmas and the presents seem to overwhelm what once was a pure holiday; Santa is the spirit of it all. “He” is the spirit of giving, the heart of the holiday and the magical presence that brings happiness to those around the world. He may not ride in a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer but he is the legend that makes Christmas what it truly is. In order to make my point clearer in the eyes of those who don’t believe in the jolly little man any longer I have a story to tell. And this is how it begins:
Seven years ago...
Downtown in a three story house lived the grandparents of a small girl. Upstairs the small girl lay in bed and cried, hoping and praying that Santa would bring the one thing she had asked for, to her for Christmas the next morning. The only thing that the child had asked for was her mother and new baby sister to be home for the holidays. Now in order for the story to make sense we must go back a little farther, before December.
Earlier that year the small child had gotten her wish of receiving a sibling. She had begged and pleaded years before to have a little brother or sister to look after and to be able to love. It was the one thing she had not gotten that she truly wished for. Each night she asked her mother when she would receive such a request. It may seem strange for an eight year old child to beg for a companion, another child of a younger age to love, but it is what the child desired the most. In the later part of November a baby girl was born to the mother of the small girl. November 30th at exactly 11:49:59pm, the baby was born. The pregnancy had been long and very stressful; nothing had gone according to plan and the birth was even more strenuous. The baby was born with a wreath knot tied in her umbilical cord which had been causing serious respiratory problems to the child that had gone unnoticed in the womb. A Short time after her birth in November, she and the mother were flown by emergency air support to the closest children’s hospital. So close to Christmas it was not supposed to be possible to bring the two home in time for the holiday.
The eight year old girl pleaded for her mother and baby sister to come home but no one seemed to be able to produce them when they were expected to be at home. She was staying with her grandparents in that three story house on a friendly street in town. Snow was already on the ground, the air was cold on the face, and frosty in the lungs. Your breath could cloud in the air, and all appropriate snow-play apparel was required to make snow angels. Christmas was fast approaching and the hospital was threatening to keep the mother and newborn for a long period of time to ensure she would be okay; whether or not the holidays were already in progress.
The Grandma had taken the girl to the mall to go and visit the jolly man in red to see if it would make her feel better about missing her mother and sister over the holidays. In a seemingly long line of anxious children, they waited for their turn to talk to Santa. The man sat there in his large red velvet chair at the display in the mall of working elves and reindeer, the girl finally got to go and sit on his lap to tell him what she wanted the most. She sat down on his lap and when he asked ‘What would you like for Christmas?’ the girl replied, ‘I want my baby sister and mommy home for Christmas, please. That’s really all I want.’
Most children just want toys and games, fancy dress up clothes and play time on Christmas, but not this child she really and truly cared whether she would have her family together over the holidays first and foremost rather than loud brilliantly coloured toys.
The night before Christmas the small girl went to bed and awaited the morning to see if Santa had brought what she really wanted. Eyelids heavy and sleep overwhelming her she almost had dozed off. She could hear the voices of her grandparents talking in the room next to where she slept. She peered over sheets which were pulled high to brim her nose; across the room she could see the opening to the stairway, atop the stairs was her mother and baby sister. Santa had brought her what she really wanted, her family for the holidays.
The spirit of giving and the magic that comes with the warmth of love and the power of Christmas is what Santa truly is, and I believe this whole heartedly. The small girl was me, that Christmas all I wanted was the people I love to be there with me. To feel the happiness Christmas morning brings and to give the best gift of all love.
I can understand if Santa is not someone who you truly believe in any longer, many have set away their previous feelings of childhood. But Christmas is not a commercialized holiday, or just presents and religion; Christmas is something you can spread through your family. Celebrate the spirit of love and giving, start believing again. Santa is real, in our hearts just search for him there.
If at the end you would like to see this posted in an accredited place: Please pass it on to the Calgary Herald or the Calgary Sun
The Spirit of Christmas
By Samantha J
The spirit of Christmas comes in many forms, the prayer, hope and joy of it all makes the holiday season that much more enjoyable and magical. All across the globe people everywhere celebrate the season of giving in many different ways. Some may say that it is childish to believe in such things as Santa, also known as St. Nickolas around the world; I must say that I agree I do believe it is childish to believe in a man with a white beard and overalls, but I also believe that the child within is more ourselves than the people we are in our normal day to day lives. Let me explain.
The child we hide inside is the one who first decided what our favourite color was, the tastes of food we liked and didn’t enjoy and the one who made all the mistakes first just to learn from them afterward. The child who stuck his hand in the cookie jar before supper was led to believe that it was not a good thing to do by the consequence of his actions. That child was also the one who once believed in Santa. The large man with a snow white beard, belly which ‘shook like a bowl full of jelly’ and cherry red nose was the man we all awaited for on the night before Christmas. This belief was most likely carried out until we became ‘old enough’ to stop believing. Now I am almost positive that most of you that will read this will say ‘I don’t believe in Santa. I stopped believing a long time ago! It was my parents that set presents under the tree, I was told so.’ But I am also very positive that many do not know the full meaning of Santa. Do you?
Santa Claus is in fact not a man, nor a woman. Santa is the heart and soul of Christmas. I know that the story of Jesus’ birth, ‘Away in a Manger’ has been told time and time again; the religious half of Christmas and the presents seem to overwhelm what once was a pure holiday; Santa is the spirit of it all. “He” is the spirit of giving, the heart of the holiday and the magical presence that brings happiness to those around the world. He may not ride in a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer but he is the legend that makes Christmas what it truly is. In order to make my point clearer in the eyes of those who don’t believe in the jolly little man any longer I have a story to tell. And this is how it begins:
Seven years ago...
Downtown in a three story house lived the grandparents of a small girl. Upstairs the small girl lay in bed and cried, hoping and praying that Santa would bring the one thing she had asked for, to her for Christmas the next morning. The only thing that the child had asked for was her mother and new baby sister to be home for the holidays. Now in order for the story to make sense we must go back a little farther, before December.
Earlier that year the small child had gotten her wish of receiving a sibling. She had begged and pleaded years before to have a little brother or sister to look after and to be able to love. It was the one thing she had not gotten that she truly wished for. Each night she asked her mother when she would receive such a request. It may seem strange for an eight year old child to beg for a companion, another child of a younger age to love, but it is what the child desired the most. In the later part of November a baby girl was born to the mother of the small girl. November 30th at exactly 11:49:59pm, the baby was born. The pregnancy had been long and very stressful; nothing had gone according to plan and the birth was even more strenuous. The baby was born with a wreath knot tied in her umbilical cord which had been causing serious respiratory problems to the child that had gone unnoticed in the womb. A Short time after her birth in November, she and the mother were flown by emergency air support to the closest children’s hospital. So close to Christmas it was not supposed to be possible to bring the two home in time for the holiday.
The eight year old girl pleaded for her mother and baby sister to come home but no one seemed to be able to produce them when they were expected to be at home. She was staying with her grandparents in that three story house on a friendly street in town. Snow was already on the ground, the air was cold on the face, and frosty in the lungs. Your breath could cloud in the air, and all appropriate snow-play apparel was required to make snow angels. Christmas was fast approaching and the hospital was threatening to keep the mother and newborn for a long period of time to ensure she would be okay; whether or not the holidays were already in progress.
The Grandma had taken the girl to the mall to go and visit the jolly man in red to see if it would make her feel better about missing her mother and sister over the holidays. In a seemingly long line of anxious children, they waited for their turn to talk to Santa. The man sat there in his large red velvet chair at the display in the mall of working elves and reindeer, the girl finally got to go and sit on his lap to tell him what she wanted the most. She sat down on his lap and when he asked ‘What would you like for Christmas?’ the girl replied, ‘I want my baby sister and mommy home for Christmas, please. That’s really all I want.’
Most children just want toys and games, fancy dress up clothes and play time on Christmas, but not this child she really and truly cared whether she would have her family together over the holidays first and foremost rather than loud brilliantly coloured toys.
The night before Christmas the small girl went to bed and awaited the morning to see if Santa had brought what she really wanted. Eyelids heavy and sleep overwhelming her she almost had dozed off. She could hear the voices of her grandparents talking in the room next to where she slept. She peered over sheets which were pulled high to brim her nose; across the room she could see the opening to the stairway, atop the stairs was her mother and baby sister. Santa had brought her what she really wanted, her family for the holidays.
The spirit of giving and the magic that comes with the warmth of love and the power of Christmas is what Santa truly is, and I believe this whole heartedly. The small girl was me, that Christmas all I wanted was the people I love to be there with me. To feel the happiness Christmas morning brings and to give the best gift of all love.
I can understand if Santa is not someone who you truly believe in any longer, many have set away their previous feelings of childhood. But Christmas is not a commercialized holiday, or just presents and religion; Christmas is something you can spread through your family. Celebrate the spirit of love and giving, start believing again. Santa is real, in our hearts just search for him there.